Feed device for fruit-pitting machines



Mar. 13, 1923. W 1,4%,472 A. RFTHOMPSON FEED DEVICE FOR FRUIT PITTING MACHINES Filed Nov. 20, 1922 2 sheets-shet 1 maj m www BJ v W R. THOMPSON FEED DEVICE FOR FRUI'I' PITTING MACHINES Mar., 13, 1923.`

2 sheets-sheet 2 Filed Ngv. 20, 1922 Patented Mar., 13, 11923. nara Parter g,

.ALBERT R. THOMPSON, OF SAN JOSE, CALIFOEN, ASSIGN'OR T0 ANDEBSON-BARN- GROVER MFG. C0., OF SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA.

FEED nnvicn Fon rRUIT-PITTING MACHINES.

Application filed November 20, 1922. Serial No. 602,035.

TQ all whom it may concem:

Be it known that I., ALBERT THpMPsoN, a citizen of the United States, reslding at San Jose, in the county of Santa Clara and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Feed De-- vices for F ruit-Pitting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to fruit pitting machines of the type in which the fruit is cut in its median line, such central cut extending either through the flesh only, or through both'flesh and pit, and being preparatory to the removal of the pit. v

Such machines' are used principally for the pitting of peaches for canning, although they are equally well suited for the pitting .of other similar fruits, the fruit being both halved and pitted by the machine. Such fruits commonly have more or less flattened pits, and in orderto avoid undue waste in the removal of the pit, as well as-for vthe Vsake of appearance, the fruit must be cut' in the plane of the greatest diameter of the pit. This' plane is indicated upon the outside of the fruit by a more or less prominent de- `pression orv groove beginning at the stem cavity and extending toward the apex. Some fruits, symmetrical, the plane of greatestdiameter of the pit, as indicated by the exterior groove, lying to one side of the'median line of the fruit itself.

'The object of my present invention is to provide means for feeding the fruit into a pitting machine of the described type in such a manner that it will be cut accurately vin the plane of greatest diameter of the pit,

irrespective of whetheror not said plane coincides with the true median line of the en- ,tire fruit. In other'words,-the, fruit is al- Wayshalved inl the plane of its vexterior groove, entirely irrespectiveof its symmetry or lack of symmetry, thus producing the best possible appearance. in the halved' fruit, and permitting the removal of the pit with. the least possible waste. f

For the sake of--illus`tration, my invention will be hereinafter described in connection with a machine of the type in which the ,fruitis halved before the removal of the fpit, the clltting knife or saw passing through both' flesh and pit, but it is to beVV understood that my said invention isfiequally applicable to any machine in which .the fruit` moreover, are not perfectly' is to be halved or cut in the plane either of its exterior groove or of its median line. Moreover, it is to be understood that changes, within the scope of the claims hereto appended, may be made in the form and construction of my device, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

With this in view, my invention will now be fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein- F igure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a fruit pitting machine having my improved feed devices Vassociated therewith, certain parts being shown in section.

Figure 2 vis a detailed front elevation o one pair of fruit-holding cups.

vFlgure 3 is a transverse section of the feedvconveyer, taken on the line 3,-3 of Fig. 1, showing the position of the fruit thereupon.

Figure 4 is a part sectional front elevation of 'the machine, taken mainly on the line 4-4 of F ig. 1 and viewed in the direction of the arrow.

In the drawings`,-`the reference numeral 1. designates a feed conveyer, comprising a chain 2 and a series of aligned vertically positioned blades 3, each havinga notch 4 and a sharpened upper edge. Said blades 3 are securedto alternatelinks of the chain 2, to

permit the latter to pass over a sprocket 5,

Said sprocket 5 is suitw ournaled in brackets 6 projecting 'rearforwardly from the frame 9 of the machine.

Each conveyer `bladel3 is adapted to re-''v the flesh of sald fruit being forced down over said blade and the pit 11 lying within the notch 4, with its greatest diameter in the plane'of the blade. the fruit is placed' upon the conveyer .by

hand, 'and is positioned, preferably. stem 'ceive a fruit'lO, as shown in F igS. land 3,

In the present instancer ter'of its pit is in the plane of said blade. 'i

It should be noted that the position of the fruit upon the blades .3 of the lconveyer 1 is entirely independet of the exterior conformation of said fruit,,except in so far as the exterior groove is used as a guide to locate `the plane of greatest diameter of the pit.

ymembers 17 to prevent the cups 18 from.

The flesh of thefruit, however, may be asymmetrical', in which case one'side will project farther from the conveyer blade 3 `than the other.

The frame 9 supports a continuously ro-` 'sildable members' 17 the slidable members of one Spider being in horizontal alignment vwith those of'the other spider.

` The inner or ad-jacent ends of the slidable members 17'are provided with fruit holding cups 18, and said members are norm'ally moved. toward each other, to' cause the cups 18 to engage and hold between them a fruit 10, by -springs- 19. Pins 20, Figs. 2 and 4, limit -the nward movement of the meeting and thus being carriedinto the 'g path of the knife' 13.

The 'cups 18 are ad'apted to carry the fruit from the feed conveyer 1 to the bis'ecting 5 `knife 13, and thence to the usual devices for 3 removing .the p'its. These latter devices form no part of the present invention, and have, therefore, been omi'tted from the planefbyz-'t eoperator mechanism formaintaining the fruit in the drawings. For' the purposes of this specification, it is suflicient to oonsider that the fruit,fafter being 'bisected by the knife 13,

is conveyed by V,the cups -18 to any `suitable sub'sequent operation.

'In order to present the' properly to l be cut by the .knife 13, i. e. so that lit wi v said knife in the pllane 'of greatest diameter ofythe pit, said fruit'must be kept in the same verticaliplane during itstransfer from the conveyer 1 to the lmife 13, for-said fruit has alread beenproperly positioned in said acingl it ufpon said c-onveer .as describe z'above. j-The ,above mentioned'pl'ane durin vits transfer their outei' ends with collars 21, Figs. land' 4, whichvengage and ride l'upon fixedcams- 22 Icarried by the frame '9. Bymeans of these c'ams 22, the slidablezmembe'rs' 17 are .drawn apart, to separate the cups 18, duringf'the lower portionl of their circular.

the fruit held by one of -the con'veyer blades.

3 at the position A. The continued upward movement of said cups then oarries said fruit-away from said eonveyer blade 3, land eventually presents it to the knife 13 at the position B. lImmediate-ly after the cups 18 have closed upon the fruit at the position A, andbefore said fruit is lifted out of engag'ement with the conveyer 'blade 3, the slidable members 17 carryingsaid cups 18 are claunped in their-holding arms 16- by means ofV levers 23, one associated' with each 3 such air-nl 16, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 4. Said levers 23 are pivotally mounted at 24 upon the arms 16, and., Operating through slots in the outer ends of said arms, are adapted to bear against and clamp they slidable' members 17 'thus .preventin any lateral movement of the latter. The evers 23 are operated by stationary within which 'the upturned ends of said levers travel. This cl'amping 'action .of vthe levers 23 takes place, as before stated, after vthe sliding members 17 have been freed from the cam-s 22 and the Springs 19 have caused the'cups 18 to engage theI fruit 'at the vposition A, but, before said fruit has been freed from the conveyer blade 3, and continues until said fruit has' been halved 'by 'the knife 13. The fruit is the-refore held,

in the same vertical-plane in which it was' pl'aced. u on the conveyer blade 3, duringl its trans knife 13.

The plane in ing this vtransfer is independent of itsex- Vterior conformation; If the' fruit is symmetrical with respectto its pit, as shown at the position nFig. 4,, both slidable members 17, when'fr'eed from the cams 22, will be g moved inw'ardly` the same amount 'by their springs '19,-whereas i-f the'flesh. of

the' fruit isasymmetricahas shown at the position B, one slid'able member 17 will be moved inwardly farther than the other, but

-in-'both casessaidslidable members 17 Will vbe clamped,"`-bv the,l levers 23 and the cams 25, in the positions in which. they come to rest -when theircups: 18 -engage the fruit while the 1atter;isstill held by the conveyer blade 3, so 'that'y said'fruitf' has been properly placed upon said conveyerblade in 'the bfegm'ii-ng,V that is7 with 'the greatest dijameter of its pit lying in'A the plane of said blade, it will be maintained in this plane..

after being removed 'from saidblade, and 7 ill be so presentedto theknife 13 as ,to ausehit to behal'ved in the-,said plane ofgreatest. pitdiameter; I w

It lis 'to'be' .understood 'ti'at the conveyer 1. 'and the shaft 14'fare drivenv inthe` proper` timed 'relation'lby any.,v suitable means 'not I 1v shown in the drawingso that as each'fruit j, travel:v Said cams terminate at such a' point that the cups 18 are permitted to close upon* 10 is brought tol the position A by said con-'- i cams, 2'5,

er from lsaid oonveyer blade to the which the fala is had during knife 13. Said'knife 13 islunderstd to be continuously rotated by any suitable means, a ulley 26 being shown mounted upon the shaft 12 for this Purpose.

I claimz- 1. A feed device for fruit pitters comprising a traveling member to releasably hold the fruit, regardless of its symmetry by an engagement adapted for a predetermined positioning of the pit relatively to the cutting member of the machine; means for grasping the fruit and removing it from the holding member Without change of the relative position of the pit; and-means for effecting the travel of the grasping means in a path adapted to present the fruit to the cutting member With its pit in the initial predetermined relative position.V

2. A feed device for fruit pitters comprising a traveling impaling member to receive and releasably holdl the fruit with its pit in .a predetermined position relatively to the cutting member of the machine; means for grasping the impaled fruit and removing it Without changing the g 'relative position of the pit; and meansfor-efecting the travel of the grasping means in a pathadapted to present the fruit to the cutting member with its pit in the initial predetermined position.

3. A feed device for .fruit'pitters comprisingV a conveyer; a blade carrled by said conveyer adapted to impale the fruit and releasably hold it With its pit in a predetermined position relatively to the cutting member of the machine; traveling cup members for exteriorly grasping the fruit and imelIl removing it from the blade withoutchanging the relative position of the pit and means for looking said cup members against movement ktending to alter the position of the 'pit during the apprdach of the fruit and its presentation to the cutting' member of the machine; L' u 4. A feed device for fruit pitters compris- 'ing a traveling member to releasably hold the fruit, regardless 'of its symmetry,- by an engagement adapted for a predetermined positioning of'the pit relativelyto the cutting member of 'the machine; traveling cup v members for exteriorly graspi'ng` the fruit and removing itn from the holding member Without changing the lrelativeflposition of' the pit; and means 'for lockin said cup ers against movement tendlng to alter the positionofthepitduring the approach of the fruit and its presentation to the cuting a conveyer; a notched blade arried b said conveyer adapted to impale the frult and releasably hold it With itsA pit in the notch of said blade a predetermined posi-ytion relatively to the cutting` member of the machine; means for grasplng the -impaled fruit and removing it from said blade 'with-- out changing the relative position of the pit; and means for eflecting the travel of the grasping means in a path adapted to present the fruit to the cutting member with its pit in the initial predetermined position.

6. A feed device'for fruit pitters, comprising a conveyer to releasably hold the fruit, regardless of itssymmetry, by an engagement adapted to position the pit in the plane of the cutting member of the machine; means for removing the fruit from said con- Veyer'* and presenting it to the cutting member; and means for preventing any movement of the fruit except in the plane of the cutting member during its transfer thereto from said conveyer. i 7. A feed device for fruit pitters comprising a conveyer to releasably hold the fruit, regardless of its symmetry,' by an engagement adapted to position the pit in the plane of the cutting member of the machine; means for exteriorly grasping the fruit, removing it from said conveyer, and presenting it to the cutting member; and means for preventing any transverse movement of said grasping'means relatively to the plane of the cutting member, during the transfer of the fruit from said conveyer to said cutting member. V

8. A feed device for fruit pitters comprising a conveyer to releasably hold the fruit, regardless of its symmetry, by an engagement adapted to position the pit inithe plane of the -cutting member of the machine; traveling cup members for exteriorly grasping the fruit, removing it fram' said conveyer, andpresenting it tov the cutting member; and means for looking said cup members against any transverse movement relative to the plane of the cutting member during the transfer of the fruit from said conveyer to said cutting member.

9'. A feed device for fruit pitters comprising a conveyer to releasably holdthe fruit,

.regardless of its symmetry, by `an engagement adapted to position the pit in the plane of the cutting member of the machine; a pair 'looking said cup members against any further lateral movement during the transfer of thefruit' from said conveyer to the cutting member.`

10. 4feed-device for fruit pitters comprisinga conveyer to releasably hold the fruit, regardless' of its symmetry, by an engagement adapted to position the pit in the plane'of the vcut-ting member of the machine; a pair of spacedv travelingI members for transferring the fruit from said conveyer to -the cutting member; a cup member carried .by and laterally movable in each traveling member; means Controlled b the movement of said traveling members or moving said cup membersl toward each `'other to ,causel them to grasp the. fruit while' the latter is held by 'said conveyer; and means for pre-` venting any fu'rther lateral vmo'vement-:of

said'cu'p members during the transfer of the z fruit' from said conveyer to the .Cutting member. ,.11. Afeed device for fruit pitters comprising a conveyer to releasably -hold the fruit, regardless of its symmetry, by an engagement 'adapted to position the pit in' the said cup members tovvard each ,other to cause Ithem v'to grasp the fruit While the llatteris held by said conveyer; and looking devices actuated by the movement of the -ti'aveling members for preventing any further lateral movement -of said cupv members during 'the the bcutting member.l

` prising a conveyer to releasabfy hold 'the plane ofl the Cutting member of the ma- 40 moving said cup members toward each other transfer of the 'fruit from said conveyerto 12. A feed vdevice for :pitters'coulfruit, regardless of its s'ymmetry, by anen-` gagement adapted toposition the. pit in the chine a pairof spaced traveling members for trans erring the fruit from said con-' veyerto the cuttingmember; .a cup member carried by and laterallyv movable `in veach traveling member; means controlled by the movement of said traveling .members for to cause them to grasp the fruit while thev associated with said traveling members'for' plane o f'the cutting member .ofthe machine;

lattefr'is held by said conveyer; and clamps looking aid cup' members in their fruit-f grasping'positionsfv W 13.1A. feed device forV fruit .pitters com-. prising a' conveyer to releasably. holdv the fruit, regardless of its' symme'try, by an en'- gagement adapted to position vthe pit in the a: pair of spaced .traveling members forf transferring the fruit from said conveyer to .the cutting member; a cup member carried by and laterally -movable in, leachtraweling member;';meanscontrolledb the 'movement of said traveling members or movingA said position; and

' said'- clam'ps.

cup membersl toward each other to cause them to'gra the fruit while the latteri heldI by Sai conveyer; `clampsv associate with 'said tgaveling 'membersfor looking said cup :members in thei r vfru1t-,g'ras-plug' stationary: cams for. actuating '1 l.. feed device for pitters' having V to the cutting member.

15. feedV device forfruit pitters having la cutting' member, comprising a conveyer; a

a vcutting member, comprising a conveyer; ablade carried thereby in the-Plane of said Cutting member adapted .toimpale and releasably hold the fruit; and means for 'removing the impaled fruit andjpresenting it blade carried thereby and adapted to' impale and releasably hold the fruit; and means for removing the impaled fruit'from said blade and presenting itl to said Cutting member.. 1 6.-`A feeddevice for fruitp-tters having a cutting member, comp'rising a conveyer; anotched blade carried thereby and adapted t impale and releasablyhold the fruit i i with its -pit lying in the notch of said blade; and means for removing the fruitfrom said bladeand presenting it to said cutt-ing member.

a cutting member comprising a conveyer;

a notched blade carried thereby in the 'plane' of said cutting member adapted to impale lying v in the notch ofsaid blade,'and means for '-transferring the fruit, in the same plane, from said im-'paling blade to 4the cutting member. s

18. A feed device for fruit pitters havingl a 'cuttingmember comprising a conveyer;

a` series of blades carried thereby, each adapted to impale and releasably. hold a fruit; -a rotating member for transferring the'fruit from said conveyer to said 'cutting member,'a series of oppositely disposedcup members -Carried by the rotating member; means controlled by. the rotation of saids .105 [gether to cause them successively to grasp the fruit and-remove it .from said conveyer;

member for moving said cup members' `tolAfeed device for-*fruit pitters having eo i and releasably holdthe fruit .with itspit w and' means for Operating said conveyerand "sai' -rotary member' in timed relation. i

-'9. Av feed device` for fruit pitters having al Cutting member comprising a conveyer; a. series "of 'fruit .holding members carried thereby;a rotating memberfor ,transferring w the vfruit from said 'conveyer to sai'd'cutting member; a'series of opplositely disposed'cup members carried b' t e atedby'the movement of said rotating mem-v ber-for prevent'ing any .further lateral moverotating' member and laterall movab e-thereupon; means'fo'rr moving sai eu members together'to cause` them succesive y'to'grasp the fruit and i'e-y ment ofs'aid cupmembers during the-,transferf-of the fruit'from said-conveyer-t'o thez cutting`member;` and means for Operating thenconveyer and' the 'rotating .member in timed relation.

In testimony'whereof. I have/ 'Siggef v `'nameto'this specification; 

